Schools Closed for Remainder of the School Year

On April 6, Governor Inslee announced schools will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Without these restrictions, public health authorities say the rate of infection will overwhelm the healthcare system.

We acknowledge continued school closures are difficult for students, staff, families and our entire community. This is disappointing news for all of us: students miss their friends and teachers, and we miss our students. The extended closure also raises numerous questions for students and families. We are working to answer your questions as soon as possible. In the meantime, here is what we know now:

Distance learningwill continue through June 19. We are committed to continuing to partner with families and community to support our students’ learning while they are at home.

We will continue to prioritize support for our high school seniors to ensure they have what they need for post-secondary transitions. We are working with the state’s college system to ensure smooth transitions.

All events, including athletics, dances and scheduled school trips, are canceled. We are engaging with students to come up with creative alternatives to celebrate milestones such as prom and graduation. We will keep students and families updated.

In-person graduation ceremonies will be modified to virtual ceremonies and/or postponed. We will communicate plans as soon as possible.

We are awaiting information from the Governor on whether schools will be open for summer school.

We will continue to support our students and families during this difficult time. We are committed to delivering the very best education possible in these unprecedented circumstances and to doing all we can to support students’ well-being.

If you have questions, please contact your child’s school principal. As a reminder, we have many resources and information related to Coronavirus at highlineschools.org/coronavirus.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts in this Thoughtexchangeso we can address your questions and concerns.

We are a strong community, and we will get through this together because We Are Highline.